'Called to freedom, working for justice, embracing responsibility,' is the theme of the Charge to Church and Nation which will be delivered by the Anglican Bishop the Rt. Revd. Dr. Alfred Reid at the opening service of the 137th Diocesan Synod of the Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

This will take place on Tuesday April 10, commencing at 4 p.m., at the St. James Parish Church, Montego Bay.

The synod theme is a response to the significance of the bicentenary of the ending of the transatlantic slave trade and its impact on the people and history of the Jamaican people.

Slave trade observations

Besides the Bishop's Charge, the synod, which comprises clergy and lay persons from across the diocese, will also hear observations on the slave trade by Dr. Patrick Bryan of the UWI Department of History, who is an eminent authority on the Anglican Church in the West Indies and its relationship to historical events like slavery. Dr. Bryan will be guest speaker on the evening of April 11.

The synod will also be concerned with the diocesan budget and will receive and discuss reports from the various departments concerned with the church's administration. The synod will end on April 13.